Correlation between the presence of symptoms and the Giardia duodenalis genotype

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2008 Jan;27(1):81-3. doi: 10.1007/s10096-007-0404-3.

Abstract

Clinical manifestations of Giardia duodenalis infection vary from asymptomatic infection to chronic diarrhoea. We study the correlation between the presence of symptoms and the G. duodenalis genotype in 108 patients with giardiasis. Patient age ranged from 2 to 72 years old. We found a correlation between assemblage AII and symptomatic infections, and between assemblage B and asymptomatic infections in the overall patient group and in patients less than five years of age. Nevertheless, if only patients of more than five years of age were considered, no statistically significant relationship between assemblage and symptomatic or asymptomatic Giardia infections was found. In these patients, host factors may affect the presence of clinical manifestations more than Giardia assemblage.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Dysentery / parasitology
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Gastroenteritis / parasitology
  • Genotype
  • Giardia lamblia / genetics*
  • Giardia lamblia / isolation & purification
  • Giardiasis / parasitology*
  • Giardiasis / pathology
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length / genetics
  • Virulence Factors

Substances

  • Virulence Factors